Lights in The Dark
by TinkerLJ
Summary: A series of one shots, connected by a common theme. F/LJ
1. Chapter 1

_It's been a while since I posted; life got busy and the Joes were set aside, needing a reboot. Here's my attempt._

 _In this one, I want to try something a little different. This is to be a series of one shots. Let me know what you think. Reads and Reviews always appreciated._

 _I don't speak Gaelic...mistakes in translation, all mine._

 _Lady Jaye's Gaelic - Imeacht gan teacht Ort /_ _English translation - That you may leave without returning_

 _Usual disclaimer: I don't own anything GI Joe._

* * *

 **Chapter Title: Where the Wild Things Are**

* * *

"Flint, what was that?" Lady Jaye hissed, her brown eyes widening.

"What?"

"Over there," she whispered, pointing toward shadowed bushes just outside the ring lit by the campfire, "I heard something."

Flint peered into the darkness, shading his eyes from the glare of the flames, "I don't see anything, Jaye."

The night guard had changed over after the first watch, and it was now Flint and Lady Jaye's turn to guard the camp. They sat huddled near the flames, occasionally feeding the fire, keeping the night's chill at bay. Behind them, in the shadows, the rest of the Alpha team were sleeping soundly.

"Flint…," Lady Jaye rose silently to her feet. "There it is again," she pointed to a slightly different location.

Flint had heard it, too, and rose to stand beside her. He unslung his rifle and quietly released the safety.

Two small lights appeared in the dark.

Lady Jaye clutched Flint's arm tightly and froze, "What is it?"

The lights winked and then disappeared.

Lady Jaye looked around wildly.

"Jaye," Flint suddenly pointed to a tree stump, "over there."

The lights had reappeared, this time to the right.

"Looks like some kind of animal…," he whispered next to her ear.

Lady Jaye nodded and released her death-like grip. Flint began rubbing the place where she had latched on to his arm. _It would be a good while before the feeling returned_ , he thought wryly.

Slowly, carefully, Lady Jaye pulled out her netting javelin from the case slung over her shoulder. She stood tense, like a coiled spring, holding the shaft lightly between her fingers, never taking her eyes off the two glowing points of light. The lights moved and she jumped slightly, raising her javelin above her shoulder. But, before she could throw, they winked out again, leaving darkness and empty shadows behind. She dropped her arm in frustration.

"Fine…, go Imeacht gan teacht Ort," she growled under her breath.

"English, Jaye," Flint gave an exasperated sigh.

She turned to him and glared.

The leaves to the left rustled, and they both turned. Their eyes tracked the sound, squinting at the shadows. Then, on the far edge of the firelight, they saw a small dark shadow dart into the light and then turn, giving them a glimpse of a bushy, ringed tail.

"Racoon," they both mouthed at the same time.

Flint grabbed the stick he'd just been using to poke the fire. He walked purposefully toward the place where they had last seen it disappear.

Lady Jaye followed him with her eyes, staring incredulously. "Flint….," she stammered, "I don't think…"

"Shoo," he cried, stamping his feet, "Go on! Get out of here."

Flint raise his stick and swung, striking the sides of the bushes. Leaves cascaded to the ground at his feet. The racoon made a noisy departure through the undergrowth.

Slowly, audibly, Lady Jaye let out the breath she had been holding and returned her javelin to its case. "Thank goodness it's gone," she muttered to herself.

Flint looked at her in surprise, "Don't tell me you're afraid of a racoon, Lady Jaye."

Lady Jaye lifted her eyes and then opened her mouth as if to say something and then decided against it, promptly shutting it again.

He smiled, watching the changing expressions on her face, "Don't worry, I won't say anything," he promised, "Cross my heart."

She pressed her lips together and a flush rose to her cheeks.

They moved back to the fire and sat down. Lady Jaye stretched out her arms, and rubbed her hands together. "Cold tonight, isn't it, Flint," she murmured lightly, her face, once again, blank and unreadable.

"Yeah," Flint gave her a lopsided grin, "It most definitely is, Lady Jaye," He began rubbing his own hands in an exaggerated manner.

And then as if to prove that it _was_ cold, he reached down and picked up a piece of the split wood. He laid it carefully on the fire, and then another and then another. Finally, he sat back and poked at the logs lazily. Sparks rose up, dancing and swirling and chasing one another into the black night above. In the pit, the logs sizzled and crackled and hissed until the wood caught and then yellow flames raced hungrily up the sides. In the sudden blaze, their faces became clearly visible to one another, the fire alight in their eyes.

Lady Jaye turned her head and caught Flint's dark eyes studying her.

She met his gaze in bold challenge.

He grinned, slowly shaking his head, "You know, just when I think I have you figured out, Jaye, you never fail to surprise me."

"Really?," she tilted her head quizzically.

"Really," he affirmed.

"Well, I guess that _is_ something…," She gave him a coquettish smile and then quickly lowered her eyes, hoping it was too dark to see a different heat that rose to her cheeks.

His soft chuckles filled the darkness.

 _A racoon, indeed._


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you for reading and reviewing. Again, these are one shots...episodes that are not directly linked, but share a common theme._

 _Disclaimer: I don't own..._

 _And a Happy Thanksgiving to all._

* * *

 **Chapter Title: I Wish I May, I Wish I Might**

* * *

"I don't understand how I let it happen," he hissed angrily, "Wild Bill drops us in the middle of the desert, and _then_ I find out my GPS isn't working!"

Flint and Lady Jaye were resting under the simple sunshade they had constructed, taking surveillance photos of the Cobra camp below, waiting for the heat of the day to pass.

"It's going to be fine Flint…," she soothed, taking her time in snapping a couple more shots.

"But how are we going to find our way back to the rendezvous point? In my infinite wisdom," he growled, "I didn't even pack a compass."

"Relax Flint, once night falls, I can use the stars to navigate us. It's North, right?"

"Yes…but, are you sure?" He eyed her doubtfully.

"But, of course," she smiled with confidence.

"I sure hope you're right about this," he muttered, glancing meaningfully toward the camera, "We need to get this information back to the Pit, ASAP."

"And we'll get it there."

Flint nodded darkly, "We'd better, or Duke will have my head on a stake."

The Joes had been gathering Intel on some unusual Cobra activity. They had managed to pinpoint the location to a remote area of the Mojave desert but what exactly they were doing there was vague, at best. Duke had sent the two of them on an overnight intelligence gathering mission to collect whatever information they could about Cobra's latest venture.

As Lady Jaye pressed her eye to the viewfinder once more and began adjusting the lens to focus, her thoughts drifted to two days earlier, back at the Pit. It had been late and she had curled herself into a corner with an old copy of Wuthering Heights when she suddenly spotted Dusty trying to sneak out.

"Where are you going?," she had lifted her head and asked casually.

"What!? Oh, it's you Lady Jaye," Dusty let out a breath in relief, "You gave me a start."

"And you haven't answered my question," She sat up, cocking an eyebrow, "So, where are you going?"

Dusty relaxed and gave her a sheepish grin, "Just out to look at the stars."

"Really?," she said with surprise and then longing as she turned her head to stare at the darkness outside. She had done stargazing with Dusty before. She turned her eyes back to him. "Could I go with you,?" she asked softly.

He looked at her quizzically, "You really want to?"

She nodded her head.

Dusty broke into a wide grin. "In that case, you bet..," he whispered, motioning to the door. "But, let's get out of here before we run into anyone else."

"Thanks Dusty," Lady Jaye flashed a bright smile.

She quickly stuffed her book in a pocket and jumped off the ledge of the window seat. The two of them slipped out the door and into the darkness. Lady Jaye followed him in silence. When Dusty had decided they were far enough away from the lights of the Pit, he found a comfortable spot and then sank into the cool sand, patting the spot beside him. As Lady Jaye took a seat, he leaned back, crossing an arm behind his head. They gazed in silence for a few minutes and then Dusty began to speak, softly, naming the constellations.

"That's Orion's belt," he pointed, "and Cassiopeia…and The Little Ursa. That's where you find the Polaris, the North Star. If ever you're lost, you can find your way by navigating with that star."

"Oh, how?" Lady Jaye had asked with interest, and he had happily explained.

"True North lies directly under that star. If you ever need to go north, just find it and follow it."

 _Just find the North star and follow it,_ she told herself.

Lady Jaye had just finished the roll of film. She wound the film then opened the back and popped the cartridge out. Slipping it to Flint who put it carefully in his shirt pocket, she placed a second roll in the camera and then closed the back with a snap. The camera whirred softly, locking the film in place.

"Think we should get some more photos of that strip they're building?"

"Definitely. And make sure you get plenty of all the guards and their locations."

"Already did."

"Good."

They took turns with the camera, taking shots of various activities and strategic locations.

"How about that over there?," Lady Jaye pointed to the far side, where a line line of dust was being kicked up by some vehicle travelling across the sand.

"No problem," Flint quickly snapped several shots.

The morning passed quickly and they had soon taken all the pictures they needed. Not a whole lot was happening down below, other than busy construction work. They both agreed that it looked like Cobra was building a new base. The remaining hours passed slowly. Sometimes they talked quietly with one another, sometimes they dozed.

Finally the sun set and they slipped out from underneath their shelter. They quickly brushed the sand from their BDU's and shook it out of their hair. They were glad to be able to stretch their stiff limbs, glad to move more than a few inches in any direction.

Silently, they packed up their gear, making sure to cover any remaining evidence that they had ever been there.

The first star appeared in the sky.

They headed back in the general direction until the Little Dipper became visible.

"There's the Polaris," Lady Jaye murmured softly, gauging her location carefully.

Flint came up beside her and lay a hand on her shoulder, "Where?," he whispered in her ear.

She was very aware of his warm hand. "That one," she pointed, "last star on the end of the handle."

"North Star, right?"

She nodded, "We need to bear a little more to the left."

"Lead the way."

She began walking, her eyes drawn again and again to the starry host above until she was filled with starlight and stories and tales of old. Soon she began speaking, her voice rising and falling with a soft Irish lilt.

 _Comrades, leave me here a little, while as yet 't is early morn;_

 _Leave me here, and when you want me, sound upon the bugle horn._

 _'_ _Tis the place, and all around it, as of old, the curlews call,_

 _Dreary gleams about the moorland flying over Locksley Hall;_

 _Locksley Hall, that in the distance overlooks the sandy tracts,_

 _And the hollow ocean-ridges roaring into cataracts._

 _Many a night from yonder ivied casement, ere I went to rest,_

 _Did I look on great Orion sloping slowly to the West._

 _Many a night I saw the Pleiads, rising thro' the mellow shade,_

 _Glitter like a swarm of fire-flies tangled in a silver braid…_

She turned to him and blushed deeply, "I'm sorry. I guess I got a little carried away."

He stared, wide eyed, "How come you never told me?"

"Told you what?"

"That you loved the stars."

Lady Jaye shrugged, "You never asked, I guess."

"I'm sorry I never did," he said deeply moved, "That was beautiful."

"I didn't write it," she laughed softly.

"I know…I know…It was Tennyson."

"Aye 't was," she grinned, speaking now in a thick brogue, "Locksley Hall t'was."

"Aye, it was," he grinned, in a good ol' American accent and then his voice softened and deepened, "But you're the one who brought life to the words."

"It's just something I do," she shrugged modestly.

"I'm glad you do," he took her hand and squeezed it, "You'll have to tell me more later."

"That, I'd love to do," she grinned.

Lady Jaye kept an eye on the Polaris. Staying directly underneath, she managed to lead Flint back to the rendezvous point in just under two hours.

He crossed his arms over his chest and turned to her. "Well, I'm impressed," he admitted, "I'm guessing you learned the poetry in Bryn Mawr, but where did you learn how to navigate by the stars?"

"Dusty taught me," she laughed at his morphing expression.

"I should have known," he ran a hand through his hair, "T'was quite the experience, my dear."


	3. Chapter 3

_There's a lot going on in my life right now and though I'd like to write more, I really don't have much time… and I definitely can't do a long story, hence my little one shots. These are just for fun, to be posted as I am inspired and have the spare moment._

 _Feel free to PM me if you have an idea for another "light in the dark." I might just use it. F/LJ themed._

 _As for my chapter titles, bear with me. I'm just having a little creative fun._

 _With that said, enjoy! This one takes a humorous slant._

* * *

After a cold meal of MRE's, the exhausted women headed directly to their tent, needing the rest badly. They paused for a minute outside, attempting to stretch the kinks out before crawling inside.

"Please, Someone, just run over me with a tank and put me out of my misery," Cover Girl moaned, reaching for her toes. Somehow, they seem farther away than usual.

"I hear you, girl," Lady Jaye let out her own groan as she stretched her arms up over her head.

Scarlet just laughed softly, "You two were both pretty bad."

"Look who's talking, Miss I can climb up without a harness, thank you."

"A little overconfident with the ninja training, eh?"

Scarlet blushed.

The Joes were running a refresher course on wilderness survival training. Per Hawk's orders, all available Joes were in attendance, leaving behind only a skeleton crew at the Pit. As luck would have it, all three women had made the list of attendees.

Flint and Beach Head were co-leading the intensive, three day training. The Joes had just completed day one.

"Let's go."

The women crawled into their tent and collapsed on their sleeping bags.

"I don't think I've ever been this done in," Lady Jaye complained.

"Yeah, if it weren't for the fact we were all feeling it, I'd say Flint had it in for you."

"Please don't mention Flint," Lady Jaye groaned. Her face heated, thinking how badly she had performed in front of him. She was certain she'd never hear the end of it from him.

"Alright I won't," Cover Girl grinned.

She sat up and began beating her pillow. Then she lay back down. She just couldn't seem to get comfortable. She kept tossing and turning in her sleeping bag.

"Stop moving, Cover Girl," Scarlet hissed.

"Can't," Cover Girl rolled to her back and stared at the tent ceiling, "Too tired to sleep."

"Well, try."

Slowly her eyes widened, "Hey, know what this reminds me of?," she whispered, the excitement growing in her voice.

"Don't know, don't care. Go to sleep," Scarlet yawned sleepily.

"Sleepovers when I was a kid," Cover Girl turned towards her tent-mates, an expectant grin on her face.

"Oh, I bet you know a lot of ghost stories, then," Lady Jaye said, rolling to her side to face her.

"Probably," she laughed, "but know what I really miss from those days?"

"No. What?," Lady Jaye asked.

"This," a click was heard as she turned on her flashlight and sat up.

"Hey…," Lady Jaye threw an arm over her eyes to shield from the light, "Give a girl some warning next time!"

"Cover Girl…," Scarlet complained, pulling the sleeping bag up over her head.

Cover Girl ignored their protests and began fiddling with the flashlight. She shone the beam on the side of the tent.

"What are you doing?," Lady Jaye squinted, her eyes adjusting to the light.

"Shadow pictures," she whispered eagerly.

"What? Why?," Scarlet covered her head with her pillow and groaned, "I just want to go to sleep."

"Don't be such a slug, Scarlet," she giggled, "It's fun! I promise!"

Lady Jaye stared at the side of the tent lit up by the flashlight. Her eyes darkened and narrowed and then suddenly widened.

"Hey, it's a rooster," she said in surprise.

Scarlet slowly poked her head out, till her blue eyes were just barely above the edge of the sleeping bag.

Cover Girl quickly changed the position of her fingers and then held her hand up to the light.

"Ohh, a lion…," Lady Jaye said, getting into it, "Hey, you're pretty good at this."

"Check this one out," Cover Girl laughed. She twisted her fingers deftly and then held her hand up again.

"A butterfly," Scarlet sat up, now also wide awake and interested.

"Oh, let me try…," Lady Jaye begged, "hold the flashlight for me," She fumbled with her fingers a few moments and then held her hand up to the light.

"What's that?," Cover Girl asked.

"It's supposed to be a rabbit. Can't you see? There's the head and those are the ears…"

"Ummm, yeah, now I see it," but her voice didn't sound convincing.

"Looks more like a demented dwarf," Scarlet muttered and Cover Girl clamped a hand over her mouth.

"I'm glad you were the one to say it and not me!" she stifled her laugh.

Scarlet just gave her a smug grin.

"Well if you think it's so easy, you try," a grumpy Lady Jaye tossed the flashlight toward Scarlet.

She picked it out of the air with ease.

"Ok," she began twisting her fingers, "I used to be able to do a pretty good horse," she bit her bottom lip in concentration.

"Anytime, now, Scarlet…,"

"Just give me a minute, Jaye….Ok. How's this?" She held her hand up to the light.

More giggles and laughter erupted.

"Definitely NOT a horse!," Lady Jaye laughed.

"Well, it is a lot harder than it looks," Scarlet defended.

"I could have sworn that was how I used to do it…" she muttered under her breath. Then listening to the giggles and laughter of the other two, her face twitched. It wasn't long before she had joined them.

"Shhhh…," Cover Girl hissed suddenly, switching off the flashlight. The amusement faded from her face.

They fell silent at the sound of the soft crunching of leaves as footsteps approached. A large shadow appeared on the outside of their tent, slowly growing smaller as it approached and then stopped. Then they heard a light tapping on the fabric.

"Go to sleep, Ladies," A deep voice spoke, "Lights out over an hour ago."

"Sorry," Lady Jaye coughed softly and then her voice lowered, "Night Flint."

"Good night, Lady Jaye," the voice deepened.

Cover Girl rolled her eyes at their exchange. Scarlet smiled and shook her head.

The three women snuggled back down into their sleeping bags and a silence fell over the camp. The night around them deepened and the sounds of their breathing softened and slowed, becoming more regular.

Suddenly Cover Girl sat up in her sleeping bag, her eyes wide in the darkness, "Did you hear that?," she hissed.

"Go to Sleep Cover Girl," Scarlet half mumbled, half growled. Her eyes were still closed.

"But, I swear I heard something," she insisted, her eyes rapidly scanning the darkness.

To the right, they heard the sound of a twig snap and then slowly, the shadow of a bear began to take shape on the side of the tent.

Cover Girl let out a small squeak and pointed wordlessly. Lady Jaye poked her head out from under her covers, staring at the figure through bleary eyes. She shook her head.

"Nice try, Flint. Go back to bed," she said sleepily.

The shadow of the bear instantly disappeared. They heard a familiar deep voice grumbling and complaining, accompanied by heavy footsteps as he left.

Scarlet snorted and Cover Girl burst into laughter. Their peals of laughter followed him into the night.


	4. Chapter 4

_In this chapter, Flint and Lady Jaye share a rare day off._

 _Thanks for all the chapter ideas:) Keep them coming. PM me if you wish._

 _And as always, thank you for reading and reviewing._

* * *

 **Chapter Title: Raindrops on Roses**

* * *

"This is your idea of a date?," Lady Jaye groaned as he took her hand and pulled her to standing. She shook the loose grass from her patterned maxi skirt.

"Well, I always do like doing things with a bang," Flint glanced nervously at the greenish, darkening clouds as a wild gust of wind sent a spray of rain drops.

She turned to stare at him in disbelief. _He was making one of his a corny jokes, now?_

Truth was, Flint had been planning their date for weeks, waiting for their days off to synchronise. Though many of the Joes were aware of their relationship, they were always careful not to advertise it, taking discretion to an entirely different level.

They had left early and he had driven her out, over single lane highways to long dirt roads and then he had finally pulled to a stop, parking his car alongside the road.

"Here?," she looked around in surprise.

"Trust me," he flashed her a crooked grin before holding up the barbed wire up for her to duck under.

"Aren't we trespassing?" she asked.

"No. The owners are old friends of mine," he scrambled under to join her on the other side.

He took her hand and led her on a leisurely hike through rolling hills to the place he'd already selected, to share a private picnic. He spread out the thick blue and white horse blanket and placed the picnic basket on top. Then, he slipped off his shoes and stepped onto it, pulling Jaye down beside him. From their hilltop, the velvety yellowing grass spread out in all directions, broken only by the occasional green of a dark oak tree.

"It's lovely," she murmured softly, leaning back against him as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm glad you like it," he rested his chin lightly on the top of her head, breathing in the faint scent of her herbal shampoo, the light, heady fragrance of her perfume, and that special smell he loved that was entirely _her_.

The sun was warm overhead, with a few fluffy white clouds forming on the horizon. They sat in silence, listening to the beating of one another's hearts, enjoying the peace of the moment, the fact that they were alone together, away from the prying eyes of the Joes.

Finally, Lady Jaye pulled away with a sigh, "I don't know about you, but I'm starved. Let's see what you brought in here," she grinned.

"Not so fast," Flint laughed at her morphing expression as he pried her fingers from the basket. Then smirking, he reached in and slowly pulled out a single red rose.

Lady Jaye gasped, her eyes brightening.

"For you," he smiled.

"Thank you," she fingered the delicate, fragrant petals.

They shared the rest of the contents; french rolls, and sliced cheese and meats, a large red tomato, and a cherry pie for dessert. As they ate, the breeze began to pick up and billowy clouds thickened, racing one another across the sky.

"Looks like a storm might be coming," Lady Jaye said, glancing at the sky clouding above them.

"Let's hope not."

They finished their meal and then together, slowly repacked. The clouds continued to thicken, spreading across the sky until they blotted out the sun. A cold gust of wind blew over and around them, bringing with it a strong smell of rain. They both groaned.

Flint rose to his feet, extending a hand, "I take it that would be our cue to exit."

"I thought you checked the weather forecast," she said breathlessly, hopping on one foot as she hurriedly slipped her feet back into her sandals.

"I did."

The wind blew around them again, gusting even stronger, wrapping Jaye's skirt around her legs. The sky was darkening. In the distance, they saw a flash of lightening. The first few drops of hard, cold rain came with it. Moments passed before the soft rumbling of thunder caught up with them.

"Shouldn't we get out of the rain, find shelter, or get under a tree?," Lady Jaye yelled, her voice caught and tossed by the rising wind.

"No…there's no time…no shelters around here…We have to stay low…out in the open, away from the trees. Believe it or not, it's actually safer."

The rain began to fall. Lady Jaye wrapped her bare arms around herself, "Swell," she muttered unhappily.

He removed this jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders as he looked for a low-lying area, where rain water wouldn't be likely to gather.

"Down here," he grabbed her arm once again and led her hurriedly, their feet slipping and sliding beneath them, down the sloping side of the hill. He steered them toward the lowest point he could see, a ditch.

Growing up in Kansas, Flint had learned a thing or two about tornados…and thunderstorms and the fact that lighting likes to hit the tallest objects.

Just as they reached the bottom of the hill, the thunder clapped again, almost overhead, and the rain began in earnest.

"Lady Jaye, Get down…quick… all the way to the ground," he pushed her down roughly.

"Like this," he crouched down on the balls of his feet, making sure his heels touched. "Put your head between your knees and cover your ears," he yelled.

 _Crack!_

The storm darkened sky above them lit up brilliantly. In that brief moment of light, their eyes met, wide with fear. Then the sky darkened to greenish greyness once more.

 _Crack!_

The jagged white lines tore through the clouds. The storm was almost on top of them.

"Don't move, Jaye. Make yourself as small as possible."

The rain was pounding the earth, soaking through the light jacket he had given her, through his own polo shirt and jeans. They were getting wetter and wetter.

 _Crack!_

A tree across the field suddenly exploded into flames. They both jumped.

"Hang on Jaye, It'll soon be passing," Even in the semi green-grey darkness, he could see that she was trembling.

 _Crack!_

Lightening ripped jaggedly across the sky above them.

They sat huddled under the falling rain, not daring to move, not daring to speak. Slowly, very slowly, the storm passed over them and the lightening and thunder moved beyond and into the distance. As the winds quieted, they rose to their feet, their eyes surveying the damage left behind; broken tree limbs, areas of flooding, wisps of smoke and steam rising from the now blackened tree.

Suddenly, a beam of sunlight broke through the thick clouds, prying them widely apart. Drops of rain, still dotting the grasses, caught the light and blazed golden.

Lady Jaye began to laugh, softly at first and then more loudly.

"What's so funny?," Flint looked at her in surprise.

"We were in such a hurry, we left the picnic basket and blanket on top of the hill."

His eyes widened and then he began to laugh with her. Their laughter grew, mixing and mingling with the faint sounds of the dying thunder in the distance.

And when their laughter had faded, they finally took a good look at one another. Both were soaking wet with their hair dripping around their ears. The jeans Flint wore were cold and stiff and clammy. On Lady Jaye, Flint's jacket was soaked through, her dress underneath clinging to her goose pimpled skin, dripping with mud and water.

She looked down in mingled horror and dismay, all her attention suddenly focused on the futile attempt to wring water from her sodden skirt. She was completely oblivious to the fact that she had mud in her hair, across one cheek, on the side of her neck.

Flint, as he watched her, was reminded, once again, why he had fallen in love. Even soaked to the skin and covered in mud, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He stretched out his hand and stroked a flushed cheek.

She met his eyes in confused bewilderment.

"Do you even know how beautiful you are?," he whispered in amazement.

Her eyes warmed and softened.

Wrapping his arms around her, he drew her close. Then, he bent down and kissed her, gently, lingering. The warm sun beat down upon their damp heads. When they finally broke apart, both were breathless, their hearts beating rapidly in their chests.

He gave her a lopsided grin, "Come on, Mud Queen. Let's retrieve that picnic basket and then we'll trek back to my car. I, for one, could use a shower right about, now."

"In a minute," her eyes sparkled, "There's something I need to do first." She rose to her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down into another kiss.

Smiling, he growled and lifted her off her feet.


End file.
